Coventry City’s biggest crowd of the season saw the Sky Blues book a day out at Wembley 30 years on from the greatest day in their history.

And a fair percentage of them finished on the pitch – not in one of the protests which has soured the club’s reputation in recent months but in celebration tinged by relief after an unbearably tense finale. City seemed to be in cruise control as fine goals from Stuart Beavon and George Thomas gave them a fully-deserved lead inside 20 minutes.

But folk-hero Adebayi Akinfenwa hauled Wanderers back into contention and City had to weather a second-half siege before finally squeezing over the finish line Despite the club’s turn-up-early pleas, the match was delayed for 15 minutes because of box-office queues. The 11,672 who eventually took their seats fell way short of the 31,000 who crammed into the stadium for the 2013 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy semi-final - but with the Wembley factor trumping the anti-Sisu animosity and the option of watching the tie on Sky it eclipsed the 10,296 who turned up against Shrewsbury in the early days of a thus-far calamitous League One campaign.

And City responded to the pumped-up atmosphere. They looked the sharper side from the start and duly broke through in the 11th minute – Reilly bundling his way through on the right and slipping over a low cross for Beavon to swivel and clip his shot across Blackman and inside the far post. The Sky Blues choir was momentarily silenced as Charles-Cook spilled a cross under intense pressure to spark a desperate scramble in the box – City claiming a foul on the keeper while Wanderers appealed for a penalty.

But the Que Sera chorus erupted two minutes later as City doubled their lead with a superb strike – Reid drilling a fierce diagonal from left to right and Thomas chesting down the ball to smash past Blackman. City were producing some of their most fluent form of the season, despite the bobbly pitch, while Wanderers’ Plan A seemed to be contriving opportunities for Thompson to launch those throws into the area. But the League Two outfit squandered a golden opportunity to level two minutes before the interval as O’Nein’s left-wing cross skimmed off Rose’s head and dropped to Weston but he blazed wildly over from well inside the six-yard box.

Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth responded by unleashing The Beast for the second half while Jodi Jones replaced Beavon who had looked less than fully mobile before the interval. And it was the visitors who were straight out of the traps, Weston curling a shot wide before teeing up Saunders for a close-range effort straight at Charles-Cook – and in the 55th minute their not so secret weapon struck. Fresh from a 70-yard dash down the wing, Jones conceded a needless free-kick in the centre-circle and when Harriman’s spooned delivery dropped nicely for Akinfenwa the big man belted it past Charles-Cook on the half-volley.

The momentum had swung completely, City’s defence looking increasingly jittery as Wycombe piled forward, and Slade responded by sending on Jack Finch, the only spare defender at his disposal, to slot in ahead of the back four. Despite the reinforcements it was desperate stuff – nothing pretty or sophisticated, just a stream of balls pumped towards Akinfenwa as the Sky Blues searched in vain for their first-half flow. The fans in Singers Corner were queuing up for a pitch invasion when Mr England stunned them by declaring six minutes of overtime.

But City survived and, much to the groundsmen’s alarm, thousands of their supporters charged on to the battered turf at the final whistle. This time, surely, few would begrudge them their incursion. City’s victims come from a lower division but they’re only six steps down the league pyramid and, let’s not forget, pushed Spurs all the way in a seven-goal FA Cup thriller at White Hart Lane.In a miserable season, this was one of the good days. Wembley here we come!

Match analysis:

How did City set up?

Russell Slade was forced to make changes with three of his back four from the weekend cup-tied which meant teenagers Dion Kelly-Evans and Cian Harries joined Jordan Turnbull and Ryan Haynes in the manager’s preferred 4-4-2 formation. The midfield four remained unchanged from Saturday’s Millwall defeat, as did the front line of Marcus Tudgay and Stuart Beavon. The only other change of any note was ion goal where Reice Charles-Cook resumed his place as he has in previous rounds of the competition.

How did Wycombe set up?

Wycombe's manager Gareth Ainsworth.

Gareth Ainsworth set his side out in a 4-3-3 formation with the surprise news that Adebayo Akinfenwa was on the bench as Wanderers went with a starting forward line of Garry Thompson, Myles Weston and Sam Saunders. Behind them was a midfield three with the strong and physical Marcus Bean operating in between Michael Harriman and Luke O’Nien, while Anthony Stewart and Will de Havilland were deployed at the centre of the back four.

18 mins: Kyel Reid drives a terrific cross to George Thomas who drills home a brilliant angled finish from the right. 2-0

54 mins: Adebayo Akinfenwa thumps home a loose ball in the box. 2-1.

How did the game pan out?

The Sky Blues raced to a sensational first half lead, going 2-0 up inside 19 minutes at the Ricoh Arena where there has been a cracking atmosphere with what looks to be the biggest home crowd of the season. Callum Reilly set up Stuart Beavon for the superb angled finish on the right for the first after 10 minutes before Kyel Reid picked out George Thomas for a brilliant angled strike for the second. Reid and Reilly have come to life after a string of disappointing displays in the league and City are looking good on their lead.

Coventry City v Wycombe Wanderers at the Ricoh stadium in the Checkatrade trophy semi-final match, with, George Thomas scores to make it 2-0

Wycombe have had their moments, their best chance falling to striker Myles Weston who hit a horrible miss at the back stick that should have reduced the deficit just before the break. Wycombe boss Ainsworth sent on Akinfenwa for the second half and the Beast led the fight-back when he thumped home a loose ball in the box nine minutes into the re-start.

Luke O’Nien went close shortly after and, having already thrown Jodi Jones on for Stuart Beavon, Slade opted to throw on another defender with Jack Finch replacing Reid as City tried to shackle Akinfenwa. The Sky Blues dug in and defended with their lives and attempted to take the sting out of the visitors by retaining possession as much as they could to book their place at Wembley.

Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Wemberly:

Thirty years from the FA Cup Final, City are finally going again, albeit in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Oh what an atmosphere:

City’s biggest home gate of the season provided a superb cup-tie atmosphere that got behind the players every step of the way.

Reilly come to party:

Callum Reilly had by far and a way his best game to date in a City shirt, outstanding from start to finish.

Man mountain:

Jordan Turnbull was immense in the second half, getting his head to virtually everything that came his way amid a determined fight-back.

Star man:

George Thomas scored a cracking second goal and worked and defended tirelessly as City defended their lead amid a second half Wycombe fight-back.